The installation of windows that allow maximum natural ventilation, while, in the manufacturer’s words, ‘offering unprecedented security’, has enabled the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology in Liverpool to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ post-completion rating.
The Britplas Safevents are double-fronted windows with a free sliding internal or external sash. The in-line sliding design allows the glazed section to be fully opened, leaving a high performance stainless steel mesh in place. The Safevents’ use enabled enough natural air flow to meet the Building Regulation stipulation that requires a minimum of 1/20th of the floor area of each room to be served by openable windows. The windows’ installation also ‘effectively reduced mechanical ventilation requirements, power consumption, and the building’s carbon footprint’. Britplas added: “Due to the ventilation allowed by the Safevent windows, WSP Group was able to reduce the amount of air-conditioning fitted at the Centre, reducing the project’s capital costs, the building’s ongoing running costs, and its maintenance requirements.”
